MONTGOMERY, Alabama -- A bill in the Alabama House of Representatives that would expand the Birmingham Water Works Board and put area counties in a leadership majority was discussed in a committee today.

The House Health Committee held the first hearing on the proposal from Rep. Jim McClendon, R-St. Clair County. An endorsement vote by the committee is expected next week. If approved, the bill would progress to a vote by the full House.

The St. Clair board member would then exit the board. The Birmingham Water Works bought the Moody system in 1992.

Moody City Attorney James Hill III, spoke on behalf of bill supporters today.

"The city of Moody and those citizens do not have a voice on that board," Hill told AL.com in an interview. "Rates, debt service, are both management and financial issues that our citizens are directly affected by, but they have no representation when those decisions are made."

Hill, who is also the St. Clair County attorney, said the Moody and St. Clair delegation is united behind McClendon's proposal.

"The county's position is they support their cities and this is a significant issue for one of their cities," Hill said. "Jefferson County is not an island, the city of Birmingham is not an island and the decisions they make have an immediate impact on St. Clair County."

St. Clair Commissioner Paul Manning was also at the State House in support of the bill. After the hearing Manning stressed that the bill would benefit St. Clair County by providing a needed voice for water customers there.

"We're all in this to make a better county, be more responsive to the people and are looking forward to progress at the end of the day," he said

In all, there are four bills in the Legislature that would expand the Water Works Board and impose restrictions on board terms and compensation.

Supporters from both St. Clair County and Blount County spoke in favor of the legislation today including Blount County Commissioner Allen Armstrong.

Under the bill, Jefferson County, Shelby, Blount, St. Clair and Walker counties would be added to the board. If approved, the nine-member board would be comprised of five from outside the city and just four from Birmingham.

McClendon's ultimate call for independence from the Birmingham Water Works comes at the same the board members mull possibly divesting all customers outside Jefferson County in an attempt to kill proposals to expand the board.

Nevertheless, McClendon and bill supporters said immediate overtures to sell the Moody system back to the city of Moody would not stop efforts to gain a Birmingham board seat. Those officials want more than a promise to sell, saying St. Clair County would only leave the Birmingham Water Works board when a transfer of assets is completed.